Braveheart
by unique.and.proud
Summary: ...She knew instinctively what he was talking about 'we all end up dead; it's just a question of how and why'..." The team race to save one of their own but with very little to go on can them make it in time...? Slight TIVA. Now complete.
1. Better late than never?

**A/N: Just a little insomnia induced fic, this one is unbeta'd so apologies in advance for any typos or mistakes you may find. Please point them out and I'll happily fix them. Hope you enjoy it. Reviews greatly welcomed :)**

* * *

The sound of his phone ringing pulled him reluctantly out of his sleep, he groaned as he fumbled for his phone trying not to reach too far out with the warmth of his bed.

"DiNozzo" he answered as he snapped it open and brought it to his ear whilst simultaneously flicking the bedside lamp on.

He was met with an eerie silence

"Boss that you?" he asked uncertainly into the phone.

He pulled it away on receiving no reply and looked at the screen. Withheld. He frowned down at the tiny display before hanging up in frustration.

He glanced at his clock. 0400. He sighed and rubbed his temples trying to figure out if the phone call he'd just had or rather lack of it was anything to worry about. But he was tired. He'd stayed up late to watch a Magnum marathon on TV. It had been worth it though. There was nobody quite like Magnum. He smiled. His eyes dropping heavily and a wave or tiredness overcame him. He yawned and curled up in bed the mysterious phone call already quickly vanishing from his mind. He snuggled his face into his pillow a slight smile still playing on his lips as he gladly welcomed sleep back.

* * *

Ziva rolled her eyes as Tony waltzed out of the elevator ten minutes late. _He is lucky Gibbs is not around._

He sent her a dazzling smile as he passed her and made his way to his desk.

"Ziva. Probie." He greeted them.

McGee who was already conscientiously at work just waved his hand in acknowledgement.

"Good morning Tony." She smiled as she tried to keep the smirk from her face as she watched Gibbs walk up behind Tony and smack him hard on the back of the head.

"Mornin' Boss" he cringed through the pain.

"What I'd tell you about being late DiNozzo?"

"Better late than never?" Tony guessed although immediately regretted his attempt at humouring his boss at the glare he received.

"I mean...uh"

"If you want to have a lie in just ask"

Tony did a double take at his boss's unexpected statement.

"Really?" Tony asked still taken aback.

"Yeah" Gibbs smirked "and I'll fire your ass. Then you can lie in all you want."

"Right Boss" Tony replied meekly as he took a seat, watching Ziva stifle her laughter out of the corner of his eye.

* * *

Tony didn't risk speaking again until Gibbs was safely out of the bullpen and even then he didn't dare utter a word until he was absolutely sure the Boss and his bat ears were completely out of hearing distance.

He got up and sauntered over to Ziva's desk.

"I am trying to work Tony" she shooed him away from her desk.

"We don't have a case."

"I am doing paperwork. Something you would be unfamiliar with."

"Hey that's a bit harsh. I understand the concept of paperwork... just not how it applies to me" he grinned at her.

She gave out an exasperated sigh.

"Hey Tony watch out Gibbs is coming" McGee called from his desk.

Tony let out a strangled cry as he darted back into his chair, knocking a pile of papers from his desk in his haste. He slammed down into his chair and it rolled backwards colliding against the wall jerking him forward.

He shook his head and blinked his eyes a few times before rounding on McGee who along with Ziva was in fits of hysterics.

"Ha Ha McJoker" he sneered as he stood up and brushed himself down before bending down to pick up the files that had spilled out all over the floor.

He shuffled the papers into a neat pile and placed them onto his desk before stalking over to Tim, a dangerous glint in his eye.

"Don't even think about it DiNozzo" came the voice from behind as Gibbs's hand came into contact with the back of his head once again.

"Never even crossed my mind Boss"

"Uh huh"

Tony skulked back over to his desk and had just sat down when his phone rang.

He pulled it out and looked at it. A frown crossing his face as he saw the number was withheld and the memory of the phone call last night resurfaced.

"Everything alright Tony?" Ziva asked noticing his face screw up in annoyance.

Gibbs gave him a curious glance and Tony opened the cell.

"Agent DiNozzo"

Again he was meant with that same silence. Eerie in a way he couldn't describe. His hand on the phone tightened as he suddenly heard rattling breathing over the line. Then the connection went dead.

"DiNozzo?" Gibbs walked towards his senior field agent.

"Just a wrong number Boss"

Gibbs quirked an eyebrow and placed his hand out. Tony obeyed by handing the cell over.

Gibbs took one look at it before chucking the phone over to McGee.

"Do something about this"

Tim looked shocked at the command.

"Uh... Err...What do you want me to do Boss?

Gibbs made a series of hand gestures as he searched for the correct terminology, eventually with a huff he gave in.

"Just do what you do McGee" he said gruffly.

Tim threw a questioning glance over at his partner but Tony did nothing but shrug, turning round just in time to catch the glimpse of concern in Ziva's eyes.

* * *

Gibbs head snapped up as the cell phone in McGee's hand began to ring again an hour later.

McGee gave a brief nod of the head at the unspoken question Gibbs asked.

Tony looked over to Gibbs for direction and he nodded to the phone. Tony swiftly walked over plucked the phone from McGee's hand and answered it.

"Ok who the hell is this?" He yelled into the phone his anger now beginning to surface. He felt a gentle hand on his shoulder and spun around to come face to face with Ziva. Their noses almost touching. She backed away immediately and the moment was lost and he focused his anger on the phone.

"Who ar--"

He was cut short and swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat as he heard a piercing scream erupt through the phone and into his ears.

And then once again the connection was cut.

"McGee?" Gibbs was standing up ignoring the slightly dazed look that spread Tony's face.

"Boss it's just so weird I can't--"

Before he could continue any further Gibbs had barked at him to go down to Abby and get her help on it before he quickly marched toward to elevator signalling that Tony should go with him.

* * *

Abby had hers arms wrapped tightly around Tony and she refused to let go. A of number hours had passed since his private conference with Gibbs.

He had reassured his Boss that this was nothing personal as far as he could tell. That he could only assume someone that they'd pissed off on the job had targeted him. Gibbs had glared at him until he promised that this was definitely not some girl who's heart he'd broken seeking revenge, he'd said it jokingly but had been brought swiftly back down to Earth with yet another patented glare.

From there things had gone from bad to worse. There had been three more phone calls. A couple of hours apart. Each one a little more violent that the last.

The first had contained the unmistakable sounds of someone gaining a beating, the harsh whip of a rope, the pounding of fist on flesh and the muffled cries of pain. The line went dead after thirty seconds.

Then had come the same rattling breathing, broken my some incoherent mumbling that sounded a lot like someone was pleading for their life, then the resounding echo of a gunshot. The noise ringing in Tony's ears long after the caller had hung up.

The last had been just moments earlier and was the reason he was currently locked in a death grip hug by the forensic scientist.

Abby and McGee had just met another unexplainable dead end, McGee had been ranting about the impossibility of the whole scenario whilst Abby had taken her frustration out by draining a whole cup of Caf-Pow. Gibbs and Ziva had been standing by both acutely aware that there lack of knowhow with technology essentially meant they were sitting this case out until one of the others came up with a lead.

Abby had just slam dunked her cup into the trash can when the cell phone had rung again.

He'd answered sounding confident but when he was met with the now familiar rattling breath he'd become enraged and yelling into the phone had asked the caller what he wanted before shouting a large number of furious insults down the line. Gibbs had placed a firm hand on his agents back to stop the torrent of abusive language emitting from Tony's mouth.

Tony had taken in a deep breath and opened his mouth to speak again when a voice came over the line. It was computerized. Cold and robotic.

"You may want to rethink the way you want to speak to me Agent DiNozzo"

"And why pray tell is that?" Tony was breathing deeply calming himself down, embarrassed at his outburst. _So unprofessional._

"Because it's not too late" came the monotonous reply.

"For what?" Tony asked, he'd felt Abby shuffle closer to him and he felt comforted by the gesture.

"To ask for forgiveness" Came the simple reply.

Tony was confused and a quick glance around his team members showed him that they had no more idea about the whole situation than he did.

"Why would I do that?" he asked, aware that he could hear the first touches of worry creep into his voice.

He heard a click and thought the caller had hung up but the return of the rattling breathing told him otherwise.

"Because Agent DiNozzo. Today is the day you are going to die" came the final chilling response before the line went dead.


	2. Oh boy

**A/N: Thanks to anyone who took the time to review, to those who added this story to alerts etc and to those of you that just took the time to read :D All very much appreciated **

**Same drill as before on the typos etc - I wrote this in one go! (this therefore is the penultimate chapter). Thanks to crockettsgirl who pointed out to me my use of a British phrase, I am indeed Scottish, I try hard to write in US English but well... yeah so anyway just for clarity purposes 'lie in' is what we say when all you Americans say 'sleep in' (if that makes sense? you guys reckon I should go back and edit that?) Again apologies if I slip in anything else like that, just give me a shout if I have. Enjoy... and review :P**

* * *

He shuddered as he replayed the last few minutes over in his head again_. Today was his day to die. Not exactly a cheery prospect._ Abby still had him held in a tight hug and as much as he loved her he loved being able to breathe too.

"Abs can't breathe" he whispered.

She relinquished her hold on him slightly and without a word.

"Abs it's ok. We won't let anything happen to DiNozzo" Gibbs tried to tell her.

She shook her head firmly.

"Abby he will be safe with us" Ziva too tried to reassure.

"Why do bad things always happen to you Tony?" she mumbled into his shoulder.

"I don't know Abs but if you find out before I do, would ya do me a favour and let me know? That way I might be able to stop 'em for a bit" he chuckled.

"This isn't a joke Tony" she cried, the tears finally getting the better of her as she stepped away from the warmth of his body and embraced McGee as he wrapped her arms around her soothingly.

The ding of the elevator alerted them to Ducky's arrival into the bullpen.

"Ah Anthony how are you holding up my dear boy?"

"I'm fine Ducky" he assured the old ME.

"Yes well no sense in worrying" he confirmed although Tony caught the worried look that he sent Gibbs, and that alone was enough to send him into full panic mode.

* * *

He looked around the dimly lit bullpen. It had been hours since the last phone call, proclaiming his imminent death. So long ago in fact that he was starting to think that it may have all been some sick joke after all.

The final phone call had been around the end of the working day so in the couple of ours that proceeded it the squad room had begun to empty as people packed up for the day and filtered out through the stairs and into the elevator. Hours later it was just Gibbs and his team remaining. It was dark outside and the lights in the building had been turned off save for their desk lamps which cast shadows all around them. Abby had had McGee bring her her futon from her lab upstairs and she now laid soundly asleep, her cheeks still tear stained and her eyes puffy. McGee too had finally surrendered to sleep in the past hour and with Gibbs and Ducky out of sight but no doubt not too far away that had just left him and Ziva. They had sat in silence neither wanting to wake Abby or McGee. Their eyes never wavered from each other as they conversed without words.

Tony noticed Ziva begin to blink more often and could see that the Israeli was trying to fight her tiredness. No doubt she'd been awake since the time of his first phone call since she had this bizarre habit of going out running at ungodly hours.

He eased himself out of his seat and pulled out his cushion from his desk and walked slowly and carefully over to her. Placed it into her hands before whispering into her ear.

"I'm going for coffee. Try to get some sleep. Okay?"

She looked up at him with her big brown expressive eyes and nodded.

He slipped away and out of sight and when he looked back he could tell that she'd already fallen asleep.

He walked to the furthest away coffee machine he could think of without leaving the building. He was pretty sure if he left the building, today would be the day he died, but at the hand of Gibbs rather than the crazed guy that had made the phone calls.

* * *

He glanced at the time and noticed that he had been away longer than he had meant to. He'd gotten lost in his own thoughts, tiredness slowing his pace. He scooped spoonfuls of sugar into his cup before raising it to his mouth and taking a tentative sip. He smiled as he felt the instant kick of the caffeine as the hot liquid ran down his throat.

He heard a squeak behind him and spun on his heel. Too late he thought to make for his gun. And as he felt an excruciating pain spasm through his head and down his neck he felt his grip loosen on the cup, his eyes close and then everything went dark.

* * *

Gibbs frowned, his worry increasing by the second. He looked around at his team, all present and accounted for except for DiNozzo. They slept soundly and he didn't want to wake them but after a quick search of the bathroom and still no sign of Tony he deemed it a necessity. He'd sent Ducky around the building in hunt for his missing agent and had phoned down to security desk who were looking through all the video surveillance of the building trying to catch a look at DiNozzo.

He gently shook Ziva awake and whispered her name.

"Gibbs" she was awake and alert instantly."Where is Tony?" she asked her eyes sweeping the bullpen.

"I was hoping you could tell me."

"He said that he was going for some coffee" she glanced at her watch "forty-five minutes ago"

Gibbs gut churned and Ziva stood up suddenly.

"Something is wrong. Something has happened to him. I should never have fallen asleep."

"Not your fault DiNozzo decided to go walkabouts" he tried to comfort her.

She looked up at him with a pained expression in her eyes, one that Gibbs had rarely seen her display, and he resolved that when they found Tony and this whole case was sorted out he'd remind them about rule 12.

They stood toe to toe, she awaiting instruction, him for news.

His cell phone rang and he answered immediately.

"Sir. We found your agent. You're gonna want to come down and see this."

His phone beeped alerting him to another call.

He cut off and answered the other call. It was Ducky.

"Jethro..." he didn't need to say anymore. Gibbs had already hung up and was bolting in the direction of the elevator, swiftly followed by Ziva and McGee who was still rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he stumbled blindly after them.

* * *

Tony knew immediately that something wasn't right. His head was aching and he had been gagged and bound. He sensed something else but couldn't quite identify it as his head was spinning and he was having a hard job trying to settle his vision. He glanced down at his waist to identify the offending object.

_Oh boy. Not good_ he thought as he took in the sight of the bomb that was strapped to him.


	3. Revenge is a dish best served cold

**A/N: Again thanks for all the positive reviews, it's things like that which encourage me to keep on writing :) This is the final chapter hope you all enjoy it. As always let me know what you think, good or bad. So without further ado...**

* * *

The team had followed Tony's progress as he wondered through the corridors of NCIS from the bullpen up until he finally got his coffee. There was a jump in the footage but then they continued to watch his journey in snippets now unconscious and being dragged through the building and out into the car park. Here they'd lost him again and the patrol at the gate to the Navy Yard had let the car he was being transported in out of the complex and out into the city. Gibbs's concern for his agent overpowered his rage at the fact that this had been allowed to happen. First he'd find Tony and then heads would roll for someone's total incompetence.

The team had been shocked watching the surveillance video but Gibbs had immediately sprung into action shouting out orders to his reaming team before calling in a few favours.

* * *

Tony had had a lot of close calls in his life. He sometimes wandered if there was such a thing as guardian angels because if there was he sure wanted to thank his. He'd had more chances than he probably deserved. _Maybe now my luck has finally run out?_ He briefly allowed his memory to lapse into his previous encounters with bombs.

_**His first day back to work after his bout of the plague. He was looking forward to it but if he was honest he still felt like crap, but then medieval diseases had the tendency to do that to you.**_

_**At least he hadn't lost his touch through either his illness or his absence he'd thought as he'd led Kate to believe he'd just rescued her from a poisonous snake. He'd smiled triumphantly and felt the pleasure of being back at work until Probie had come along and ruined it.**_

"_**You're such a loser!" she yelled at him pushing him to the ground.**_

**_"All right, back to work. McGee, check the trunk. Nobody touches dead bodies until Ducky says all clear" he'd heard her say above him and suddenly he froze._**

_**  
"Freeze, McGee! Don't move! Car's wired to explode. Looks like the detonator's tied to the trunk." **_

_**  
"What?" He could hear the sudden confusion and fear in the Probie's voice.**_

_**  
"How far did you turn the key?" Kate asked putting on a calm front.**_

_**  
"Uh… not sure. Almost all the way, I think." **_

_**  
"Okay, don't let it snap back, all right?" **_

_**  
"Yeah." He'd found himself taking McGee's place, leaving nothing between the bomb and himself.**_

_**  
"Let go." **_

_**  
"Okay." **_

_**  
"Okay, both of you run!" He heard himself telling them.**_

_**  
"Tony, we're not leaving you standing--" **_

_**  
"I'm a lot faster than you are! I'll be right behind you. This is not a debate, okay? This thing might be primed already." He watched them run for cover "Anthony, you should have taken that extra week." He thought miserably to himself, but determined not to let his friends be harmed. **_

He'd survived that time. Had felt a lot worse for wear afterwards but had remained fully intact which was the main thing. The incident had almost been forgotten in the events that had followed.

He smiled sadly as his thoughts of Kate swam around his mind.

_**...**_

_**Then another encounter with a bomb. A completely different situation yet he had found himself in the thick of the action again, again unwilling to leave it either, unable to risk anyone else's life.**_

"_**Ziva! Hey! What the hell are you doing?" crazy ninja chick he thought sourly yet he followed her regardless.**_

_**  
"I can disarm it."**_

_**  
"OK... Well, great. Let's go outside and talk about this." She wasn't for real was she?  
**_

"_**If it detonates before EOD gets here, we'll lose evidence." Evidence?!? She's got to be kidding. **_

_**  
"Well, what a bummer! That would be a real shame. Ziva! ZIVA! This has to be the stupidest thing any human being has ever done!" she really is serious he thought wonderment overtaking his disbelief.  
**_

"_**Then why are you following me Tony?" if only I knew he sighed to himself.**_

"_**I don't frickin' know!" he'd held his breath as he watched her climb on top of the bomb.**_

_**  
"Here, hold this." She said handing him the cell.**_

_**  
"Any idea what's going to happen if this cell phone rings?" although he didn't really want to think about it.  
**_

_**He watched her work on diffusing the bomb; he could feel her concentration and despite the situation can't help but let his eyes wander.**_

"_**I can see down your shirt right now."  
**_

"_**I don't think your new girlfriend would like that." He cringed as he thought about Jeanne  
**_

"_**What are you talking about? I don't know what you're talking about." He hated all the lying.  
**_

"_**I'm talking about you and the fact that you no longer stare at every woman when they pass you by."**_

_**  
"Well, I'm looking down your shirt right now."  
**_

"_**See anything good?" hell yeah**_

_**  
"Yeah. Real good, but I'm not entirely sure it's worth dying..." she clips the wire "... over."**_

_**  
"Not worth dying over" she zips up her jacket eyeing him knowingly "I'll remember that."  
**_

"_**What if I said it was?"**_

_**  
"Now you'll never know."**_

He survived that time too. Thanks to Ziva. Although it was because of her he'd found himself sitting next to the damn thing in the first place. He thought about his partner. The crazy ninja Mossad. The only girl he knew that could and probably would kill him with office stationary.

His thoughts were interrupted as the door was pushed open and he saw a familiar face loom in the doorway.

* * *

Gibbs looked up and thanked the Lord that had given them the lead. McGee and Abby had worked their magic and had managed to track down the car, he didn't know the specifics but he knew they'd played an important hand in saving Tony. They'd then managed to follow it via traffic cameras until it pulled off the highway. McGee had pulled up a map of the surrounding area and along with Ziva they'd determined which of the areas they thought Tony had most likely been taken to. There were several abandoned industrial estates and a disused railway line but without another lead heading in that general direction was there best chance.

Now they had were speeding towards their destination, Ziva driving to cut down on time. His mind was in overdrive. They still didn't know who they were facing or where exactly Tony was and what kind of condition he would be in when they found him. He could only hope they found him in time.

* * *

"Hello Anthony"

Tony's eyes tracked the man's footsteps as he walked towards him and when he came to a halt in front of his he raised his eyes and met his murderous stare.

"You remember me don't you?" he sneered the hatred evident in his voice.

Tony nodded slowly. Guy Smith. Ex-petty officer. Involved in heavy drug trafficking, amongst other things. Tony had ensured that his friends had been put away for a very long time. Smith himself had been freed on a technicality and had sworn his revenge as he was escorted from the court. It had been a long time coming but here he was. Strapped helpless to a chair tied to a bomb.

He watched as Smith twiddled with what he could only assume was the dead man switch in his hands.

"So Agent DiNozzo, before you die, tell me, what have you been doing these last few years?"

"Wow, a few years? Gee times flies doesn't it? It's taken you a while to plan all this out huh?" he said mocking Smith, knowing it wasn't his greatest idea but thought if this was it he may as well go out with a bang, he cringed at the pun.

"As they say, revenge is a dish best served cold" Smith replied his voice cold, inlaid with tones of pleasure as he watch Tony begin to sweat.

There was a quiet beep and Tony immediately sensed that that could only mean that things had only gotten worse.

At a glance to his waist and the bomb attached to him he saw the timer begin to count down from thirty minutes.

"Tick tock, tick tock. Not long to go now Tony" Smith smiled.

* * *

They entered the building silently. Fornell had shown up with a pack of his agents in tow behind him. From her lab Abby had managed to give them coordinates to a specific building where Tony was being held after his cell phone had been switched on briefly. He didn't have time to wonder why but could only imagine that the kidnapper had somehow slipped up and that mistake would cost him dearly.

They were so close now, close enough to see into the room. _Guy Smith. That bastard._

* * *

Tony had watched helplessly as the numbers descended. Seven minutes left to live. He eyed Smith carefully and wondered if he intended to stay and watch the whole show and die alongside him.

He saw the briefest flicker of movement from the doorway. He internally let out a sigh of relief. Gibbs.

* * *

_Oh crap._ Gibbs saw the bomb but knew that it was too late to change the plan. _They didn't have time._

* * *

Gibbs indicated the go ahead and they stormed into the room.

"Federal agents!"

Smith turned around to be met face to face with several guns pointing in his direction.

"Agent Gibbs. How nice of you to join us. Come for the show?"

"Come for you" Gibbs stated, his glance flitting briefly in Tony's direction zoning in on the bomb strapped to the younger mans waist.

"I don't think so"

"Oh I do" Gibbs retorted.

"This is the dead man switch" Smith said cockily indicating the device in this hand. "You kill me, I kill you all."

Gibbs shook his head "Not gonna happen"

"Well then place your weapons on the ground and back out of the room."

Gibbs stood his ground.

"McGee. Fornell." Gibbs said his tone defiant.

"Gibbs..."

"Boss..." both Fornell and McGee began in unison.

Gibbs shook his head.

"Go. Now."

They hesitated for a second longer before they, accompanied with the other FBI agents, placed their weapons' on the floor and backed out of the room. Fornell taking charge led them quietly and quickly away.

"Drop it Smith."

"I'd rather not" he said his thumb moving to hover over the switch.

* * *

Tony's heart skipped a beat as he looked once more down at the digital display. _They weren't going to make it. This was it. Five minutes to live. _He wished it could be so different. As the thought overwhelmed him his mind strayed to Ziva. _Where had she been?_

He looked up to meet Gibbs shining blue eyes and he pleaded with the older man to leave too.

Gibbs held his gaze and looked deeply into his eyes and it took Tony everything he had not to avert his gaze.

* * *

Smith made up his mind. _It was now or never. What difference did five minutes make? He'd won either way._

"Last chance Agent Gibbs. I'm tired of this charade. Place your weapon on the ground or I kill him right now"

* * *

Gibbs lowered his weapon carefully to the ground his eye contact with Smith never breaking and DiNozzo always in his periphery.

His gun settled on the ground with a slight chink as the metal came into contact with the concrete floor.

He watched as Smith smiled triumphantly and turned to face Tony for the final time.

"Goodbye Tony" Smith said simply.

* * *

Tony took one final look at his Boss trying frantically to say everything he'd ever wanted to through his eyes. He was honoured that his Boss was standing with him.

He watched as Smith raised the device, a lifeless smile plastered across his face, his thumb dangerously close to the switch.

Tony closed his eyes, and awaited the inevitable.

He heard the shattering of glass and the familiar whistle of a bullet flying by and then the slump of a body hitting the deck.

His eyes pinged open to find Smith lying dead in front of him. Blood seeping from a single gunshot wound to the head. His hand still clasped around the switch.

* * *

Gibbs rushed towards Tony.

"Ziva!" he screamed her name and his eyes widened as he watched the clock enter its final two minutes.

He reached Tony and pulled the gag from his mouth. Tony gulped in a deep breath of air.

"Thanks boss" he said shakily

"Coffee on our floor not good enough for you DiNozzo?" he asked feigning anger, trying to hide his real concern.

Tony smiled "you know me Boss. I like the best"

He grinned as Ziva rushed into the room her eyes taking in her surroundings settling on the bomb strapped around her partner. Her heart skipped a beat as the clock began to count down its final sixty seconds. And that's when everything suddenly fell into place. Everything that had happened in the past few years. She'd finally figured it all out.

"You sure do DiNozzo" Gibbs replied as he watched his eyes light up at the sight of Ziva.

Ziva knelt down next to Tony and examined the array of wires.

She flexed and extended her fingers. _Forty-five seconds and then they would all die._

* * *

Tony couldn't help but stare in amazement as she swept in the room and immediately took control crouching down beside him.

A bead of sweat rolled down his face and he could feel his heartbeat, hard and fast.

"Aren't you ever scared?" he surprised himself by asking it, but he had to know. It felt important, in a way he couldn't explain.

She knew instinctively what he was talking about **"**we all end up dead; it's just a question of how and why." She replied without looking up from the bomb.

"Wow. Ziva David." He said stunned, "Did you just quote William Wallace from the movie Braveheart? At least if I die now I'll die a happy man, knowing that I at least taught you something" he grinned.

* * *

"Nobody's gonna die DiNozzo" Gibbs growled, reinforcing his statement with a stern glare.

"Yes boss" Tony gulped back.

Gibbs allowed a small smile to creep onto his face but it faded faster than it arrived. Ten seconds.

* * *

Ziva looked up and met Tony's gaze and an understanding passed between them. Incredible in its simplicity.

Her knife poised under the wire she lifted herself up onto her knees.

* * *

Tony felt his heart flutter as she looked at him, the intensity in her eyes boring into him. There were no words left to be spoken by any of them. He couldn't help but count down in his head all he had left.

Six...

He could feel his skin burn under Gibbs's microscopic glare.

Five...

Ziva rose to her knees

Four...

_This wasn't how it was supposed to end_. He closed his eyes tight against the emotion. Against the tears that had finally threatened to spill.

Three...

Her lips suddenly grazed against his.

Two...

A tender and sensuous kiss. That seemed to linger beyond the time they had left. His body tingled with need and desire and his heart fluttered in his chest.

One...

**

* * *

**

**THE END. **


End file.
